Hana's apartment felt too small, too fragile, too human to contain the creature now standing in the center of her living room. Shadows curled beneath his feet like restless smoke, shifting in rhythm with his breath. The morning light filtering through her curtains seemed afraid to touch him, falling short as though sensing it did not belong on his skin.
Hana swallowed hard, her fingers brushing the crimson mark on her wrist. It pulsed softly, alive, aware, connected to him in a way she did not understand.
"What does this bond mean?" she asked, her voice trembling despite her effort to keep steady. "What have you tied me to?"
The demon prince looked away for a moment, as if searching for words. His crimson eyes dimmed, no longer burning but softening with something she couldn't name. Uncertainty. Conflict. Regret.
"It means you're under my protection," he said finally. "Which also means you're in danger."
Hana's heart lurched. "How does being protected equal danger? That makes no sense."
He stepped closer. Shadows followed him, pooling around his boots like ink spreading over her floor.
"Because demons can sense a bond like this," he murmured. "To them, it is a beacon, bright and irresistible. They will come for you. Some to claim you. Some to kill you. And some… to get to me."
Hana's breath stopped in her chest.
"To get to you?" she whispered. "Why?"
His jaw tightened, and he folded his arms across his chest. It wasn't a casual gesture, it was defensive, like the question hit somewhere deep.
"They want the heir," he said quietly. "Alive or dead."
Hana blinked. "Heir?"
He hesitated, then met her gaze fully for the first time since stepping inside.
"I am the last surviving prince of the Demon Court."
Hana's mouth went dry. She took an involuntary step back.
Prince.
Not a demon soldier.
Not a rogue spirit.
A demon prince.
Her chest tightened, breath shallow as she tried to process the weight of those words.
The tension in the room thickened until the air felt heavy, pressing against her skin.
Her gaze flicked to the mark again. "Then why is this, this symbol, on me? Why would a demon prince's seal end up on some random girl?"
A strange emotion crossed his features. Something tracing the edge of pain, maybe guilt.
"You are not random," he said softly.
Her heartbeat stumbled. "What's that supposed to mean?"
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he reached forward, slowly, giving her time to pull away. But Hana didn't move. Something in her body responded to him, even as her mind screamed to keep distance.
His fingers brushed her wrist.
A rush of heat bolted up her arm, like fire, but not painful. Like warmth rippling through her blood.
She gasped, knees weakening.
The mark glowed beneath his touch, burning crimson like molten metal.
"It responds to you," she whispered.
"Yes," he murmured. "Because it belongs to me."
Her breathing hitched, not from fear but something far more dangerous. Something intoxicating.
She forced herself to focus. "What are you, Ravion? Really."
He flinched, just slightly, at the sound of his name. Even saying it felt wrong, like she was stepping into forbidden territory.
"My true name carries power," he said quietly. "When spoken by someone bound to me, it… deepens the connection."
She stared at him. "Is that why the mark reacted?"
He nodded. "Names are sacred in my world. If you speak mine again, the seal may grow stronger."
Hana swallowed. "And is that bad?"
His crimson eyes lifted to hers, full of an emotion she had seen glimpses of before but never fully understood.
"It is dangerous," he said. "Because the stronger the bond, the easier it is for others to find you. For others to use you. Or to use me."
He turned away sharply, frustration tightening his shoulders.
"You shouldn't have seen me that night," he said. "You weren't supposed to."
Hana blinked. "Then why did I? If humans can't see you, why could I?"
He paused. And when he spoke, his voice turned quiet, almost reluctant.
"Because your soul reached out."
She frowned. "My soul?"
Ravion stepped closer again, a shadow falling across her as he lowered his head slightly to look into her eyes.
"You were collapsing," he said. "Your energy was fading. You were scared. And in that moment, your soul called out for help… and I heard it."
Her breath hitched. Memories of that night flashed through her mind, her vision blurring in the rain, her heart thudding weakly, the world fading. A cold loneliness wrapped around her.
"And you answered," she said softly.
"I wasn't supposed to." His voice cracked slightly. "I was meant to keep my distance from humans. But your call… it was bright. It pulled me."
Hana's chest tightened. "So you saved me because you had to?"
"No." His voice was low, firm. "I saved you because I wanted to."
Silence settled over the room, thick and warm.
Hana's pulse fluttered under her skin.
She took a slow breath. "Ravion… what exactly is the Demon Court?"
He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "Our world is layered beneath yours. A shadow realm that overlaps human cities. Seoul is one of the thinnest places, the veil is weak here. That's why your city has so many legends, ghost stories, strange occurrences."
He glanced at her with a faint, sad smile.
"Most humans walk past the supernatural without noticing. But some… some are born with a glimpse of the other world. They feel things. See things. Sense things."
Her eyes widened. "Like me."
He nodded once.
"And because of that… you saw through my shadow cloak. Something no one has done in almost a century."
Her heart hammered.
"So I'm not normal," she whispered.
"No, Hana," Ravion said quietly, "you're not."
For a long moment, she didn't speak. She simply stared at him, her mind spinning.
Then she asked the question quietly clawing its way out of her throat.
"Why are demons after you?"
Ravion's expression darkened.
"My father, the Demon King..was murdered. The court was overthrown. My older brothers were taken or killed. And I…" His jaw clenched. "I escaped. Barely. Ever since, factions have risen. Some want me to reclaim the throne. Others want to ensure I never return. Killing me would end the royal line."
Hana's blood turned cold.
"And now that I'm connected to you…" she breathed.
"They will come for you too," Ravion finished. "Either to use you against me, or to destroy the bond entirely."
Her knees weakened. She gripped the back of her chair for support.
"So what do we do?" she whispered.
"We stay hidden," he replied. "You stay close to me. I protect you. That is all."
She stared at him. "You make that sound so simple."
"It is not simple," Ravion said quietly. "But it is necessary."
He moved closer again, stopping right in front of her.
"Hana," he murmured, "I need you to understand something."
She lifted her head.
His crimson eyes softened, not glowing, not burning, but warm.
"You are not a burden. And you are not trapped. I will never chain you or force you." He touched her wrist again. "This bond… it can only remain if your heart accepts it."
Hana felt her throat tighten. "What if I don't want it?"
Ravion nodded slowly. "Then I will remove it."
Her breath caught. "You can?"
"Yes," he said. "But it will cost me. And it will erase every connection between us. Every memory. Every moment."
Her heart squeezed painfully.
"No," she whispered before she could stop herself.
Ravion's eyes widened, just slightly.
Hana flushed, suddenly aware of how close he was. "I mean… not yet. I don't understand any of this. I just...I need time."
He nodded, voice soft. "You will have it."
They stood in silence, the world outside her window waking to morning traffic, car horns echoing faintly through the glass. Yet inside the room, everything felt still, suspended.
Finally Hana exhaled shakily. "Then… tell me everything. All of it. No more half-answers."
Ravion hesitated.
Then he nodded once.
"Very well," he said. "If you wish to know the truth of who I am,
then you must see where I come from."
Before Hana could ask what he meant, the shadows around him shifted, curling, spiraling, opening like a doorway made of smoke.
Her breath caught.
A portal.
Ravion extended his hand toward her.
"Hana," he said softly,
"come with me into the hidden side of Seoul."
Her heart thundered.
Her fingers trembled.
And slowly… she reached for his hand.